My mom hasn’t been a New Yorker since college and lives on the West coast. But part of her regular routine during this time of COVID-19 crisis includes turning on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefing, putting on gentle music in the background and doing yoga.
In any crisis, people seek comfort in voices, news sources, institutions and companies they feel they can trust; the ones that convey empathy, the ones who seem adept at processing complicated information and providing thoughtful leadership, those who admit they do not have all the answers.
We know so little about this pandemic’s outcome and lasting impacts. So perhaps even more than the other crises that communicators typically deal with, authenticity is dictating whether messages resonate, get lost in the noise, or offend, by coming across as tone deaf.
After two decades as a television and print reporter, in 2017, I moved into public relations, serving as public information officer at a Seattle area medical system. This past January, I started as the account manager at a global agency, WE Communications, for Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact work under the company’s Philanthropy umbrella. Working with nonprofit partners like Make A Wish Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee and many more, there are powerful stories to tell; stories of real impact on refugees and at-risk populations as Microsoft’s technology had enabled nonprofits to better accomplish their missions.
But when COVID cases began surfacing in the U.S. in early March, it quickly became apparent that all news content would be viewed through the COVID lens. As our nonprofit partners scrambled to address the virus’s impact on the people they served, we had to quickly pivot our storytelling too. To be clear, being brand new and just one person, I am a tiny cog in a big machine. But having been a reporter, where we weren’t assumed to be the experts, I felt like I was in familiar territory with communications that took a softer sell. Our news has been primarily shared through owned channels, blogs and social media, with much of the earned news coverage following organically.
Like others of you working from home, I’m taking many of my meetings in comfort clothes (not pajamas though!) My husband, three sons and I often negotiate over prime real estate (meaning WiFi signal strength) in the house. My colleagues’ and client’s work factors in our collective mood of uncertainty. Our communications plans have multiple layers of contingency. But the foundational messaging is about maintaining trust.
Whether you’re sharing news with employees or customers, substance matters right now. This is not a time to over reassure, there are too many questions that can and should be acknowledged. The broadcasters, public policy leaders, and companies who’ve recognized this will come out of the pandemic more respected than before. What people are responding to now more than ever is deliberate, thoughtful intention. Namaste.
About the Author
Hilary Benson is veteran communicator with professional journalism, healthcare and technology communications experience. At the global strategic communications agency, WE Communications, Hilary is account manager for Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact initiative. Previously, she served as Public Information Officer at Overlake Medical Center and Clinics. For twenty years, she was a reporter working in both print and in television broadcast. She and her family live in Seattle, Washington.
